Hush-a-bye, My Angel
by Evalynn Hansen
Summary: Charlotte Denton was separated from her twin brother at birth and raised by her mother's old maid. Years later, she has lost her guardian and has to make a life changing decision. Does she tell her father and brother who she really is? Post LND
1. Prologue 1

The de Changny Estate, October 1876

"All right, now, one more push."

Scrunching her eyes closed, Christine pushed with all she had, a long scream escaping her lips as she did so. She was rewarded with a tiny cry as the infant exited her womb. Breathing heavily, she leaned her head back against the pillow.

A few minutes later, the contractions started again. The nurse bit her lip.

"Looks like it's twins. You'll have to do it one more time, dear."

Christine screamed in reply as she had another contraction. The nurse continued to utter words of encouragement as she began the laborious task of pushing the second child out of her body.

"Last one. Almost there, now push!"

Screaming, Christine gave one last push and then was silent. So was the second child it seemed.

"A boy and a girl. They are a boy and a girl."

Christine looked over at the two bundles in the nurse's arms.

"The boy was first," the nurse continued.

"Let me see," Christine breathed.

The boy was still screaming, but the girl was silent. Christine looked at her first and her breath caught in her throat. The girl was almost a perfect mini-me of herself. Except for her eyes. Her eyes were golden like her father's. Turning away from the young girl's stare, Christine looked at her son.

He had perfect blue eyes and a dark head of hair again like their father. They were opposites, these two. The girl looked like her mother with her father's eyes while the boy looked like his father with his mother's eyes.

"What will you call them?"

"Gustave for him after my father..." Christine trailed off as she tried to decide a name for her daughter.

"Mélodie-Rose for her."

Just then Elizabeth, Christine's private maid, came in.

"Liz! Liz listen, I need you to do something for me."

The nurse left the room so the two could have some privacy.

"What is it, Christine?"

"Take my daughter. No, listen to me. Raoul isn't the father of these children. I'm not proud of it, but it's true. Now listen, I think I can pass my son off as Raoul's, but there's no way I can do the same with her. Take her far away from here. Change her name, do whatever you can to keep her safe."

"Where do I take her?"

"Anywhere. Just not where Raoul will find her."

"Are you sure about this?"

Christine nodded as she handed her daughter to Elizabeth. Taking her, Elizabeth made to leave then turned back to address one last question.

"Who is their father?"

"Erik Destler, also known as the Phantom of the Opera."


	2. Prologue 2

The ship back to Paris, May 1885

A breeze whipped my hair around as I stood by the edge of the boat. Salty ocean water mixed with the salt water of my tears as I stared up at the thousands of stars that glittered like diamonds in the sky. Almost everyone was below deck getting sleep on our way to France including my guardian Elizabeth. The only other person besides me on deck was the captain, steering our ship closer to our destination. He gave me, a young girl of only nine years of age, no notice. As I shut my eyes, I thought about everything that had changed in the past twenty-four hours for Liz and myself.

Feeling fresh tears run down cheeks, I sighed to myself.

"Rough day?"

I opened my eyes when the soft tenor voice spoke. Beside me stood a man all in black with a white mask covering the right side of his face. He was leaning on the side of the ship.

"Something like that," I muttered in reply.

The man chuckled softly, smirking.

"Me, too, kid. Me, too."

"What happened to you?" I asked him.

"The love of my life died in my arms and has now left me with a son to care for by myself without the first idea how to parent. What about you?"

"I watched my mother die and couldn't do anything to help."

We stood in silence for a long while, staring up at the sea of diamonds above us that was reflected in the water below.

"What's your name?" he inquired finally.

"Charlotte Denton. And you?"

"Erik Destler."

* * *

Liz and I walked through the busy streets of Paris away from the docks. Erik and his son had disappeared into the crowd and were lost.

"What are we going to do?" I asked her.

"I am going to get a job at the Opera Garnier. You will stay hidden away where no one will find you."

"At the Opera House?"

Liz nodded, pulling me nearer to said Opera House.

"How long do I hide?"

"As long as is necessary."

I swallowed as we entered the massive building.

"All right, you go find somewhere to hide. I need to find the managers."

I nodded, rushing up the giant staircase and running my hand along the wall until I detected a hidden entrance. Opening it, I made my way through the winding tunnels. Life would never be the same for Liz and myself.


	3. Chapter One

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything phantom related.**

 **AN: I'll try to keep this brief. I'm trying a new approach to this story. The two prologues haven't changed, so you guys don't have to worry about going back and reading those again, though if you haven't in a while and want to get an idea of some of the events leading up to this point, you can. I don't think it's necessary, though. Anyway, let me know what you guys think. I believe I'll be able to get a bit further taking this new approach so stay tuned. Also know that my priority right now is getting All About Your Heart posted since that is actually complete unlike this. Anyway, I'm done ranting. Please enjoy!**

Seven years later, March 1892

Mélodie-Rose POV

I stood, staring down at the Paris landscape. Above me thousands of stars glittered in the sky. My toes were just barely over the edge of the roof of the Opera House. Tears silently rolled down my cheeks as I thought of everything that had happened over the past week. The inside of my left wrist felt raw and I glanced at it briefly. It was covered in dried blood where I had cut it open again. Swallowing, I fixed my gaze back on Paris. I didn't understand why it had to happen the way it did. Why Liz had to stop back at the inn she was staying at during our time here? I had begged her not to go, to stay with me overnight just in case I heard my mother's death in my head again, but she had simply shook her head, saying she needed to get some things done at the inn and would return in the morning. I stayed awake for as long as I could that night before exhaustion finally overtook my body and I fell into a dreamless sleep. The next morning word had spread that a fire had started at the inn where Liz had been staying. They hadn't been able to get everybody out in time and there were many casualties. Liz was numbered among the ones that didn't survive. That had been a week ago. Since then, I had slipped into a dark abyss of depression, cutting my wrists in an attempt to feel something other than the darkness that threatened to completely overtake me.

I couldn't take it anymore and finally decided to pay a visit to the roof where I now stood. Behind me, I heard the door to the roof open and someone come out. I didn't turn to see who had joined me, but listened to their conversation.

"Let it go, Daroga!" a silky tenor voice said angrily.

"But, Erik-" a heavily accented voice began.

"NO!"

"أنت الحمار العنيد"

"الخداعية الكبيرة" *******

Everything went silent behind me then, and I knew they had seen me. I didn't acknowledge them, only sliding one of my feet so it was dangling further over the edge. However, before I could take the fatal drop, I felt a strong pair of arms grab me from behind and drag me off the edge. The arms pinned my own to my sides as I immediately started to struggle against them, writhing around in an effort to get back to the ledge.

"Let me go! Let me do it!"

"No," the silky tenor replied in my ear.

"I need to! Let me-"

"NO," the voice said more firmly.

I stopped struggling, the tears flowing a little more freely down my cheeks.

"Why?" I whispered.

"That's the coward's way out," the man replied simply.

"Well, maybe I'm a coward," I said bitterly, giving another feeble attempt at freeing myself from his grasp.

"Somehow I doubt that."

"How would you know? You don't know anything about me."

"Perhaps, but I know what it feels like to think that that is your only option."

"Oh, really?"

"Erik, I hate to interrupt, but she has-" the foreign voice started to interrupt.

Before he had the entire sentence out of his mouth, I felt the mirror shard taken from my grasp before I had a chance to cut myself once more.

"I also have had ample experience with self harm, and I wouldn't advise it," Erik added, slipping the shard into a pocket.

I took the opportunity while one of my arms was free to turn myself enough to face my captor. I came face to face with a white half mask. Behind him, off to the side, was a dark skinned man wearing a strange cap and staring at us with wide jade green eyes. Glancing back at the masked man, I was met with a pair of glowing gold eyes, much like a cat's. He was dressed in a black suit, a stark contrast to his white mask. Both men gasped slightly upon seeing me.

"You look like-" the dark skinned man started in his foreign accent.

"Christine Daaé. Yes, I'm aware," I interrupted him.

"But that's-" he started again.

"If you say that's impossible, I swear-"

"Never mind then."

"That's what I thought."

Erik was smirking throughout the exchange, and when we both fell silent he took the opportunity to make and inquiry of his own.

"Would you care to explain why we found you trying to end your life?"

"There's no point any more."

"That can't possibly be true."

"But it is. Everyone I care about is dead, so no one would miss me when I'm gone."

"There has to be someone."

"Nope. My mom died seven years ago, my guardian died a week ago, and my father, who's really the only one who could miss me, doesn't know I exist, so it wouldn't matter if I stayed alive or killed myself anyway. There's no point any more."

"Your guardian died a week ago?"

"Your father doesn't know you exist?"

Both inquiries were made in unison and I smirked.

"Yes," I replied to both questions.

"Guardian. They wouldn't happen to have been in the fire at that inn a week ago, would they?" Erik pressed.

"Yes, they were," I replied.

"How does your father not know you exist?" the foreign man inquired.

"Long story. Don't feel like getting into it," I snapped back.

"Who was your guardian?" Erik continued.

"Elizabeth Denton."

Both men stared at me as if I had grown a second head.

"Elizabeth Denton was here alone," the foreign man stated.

"No, she came with me."

"How have we gone seven years without running into you, then?"

"I'm good, aren't I?"

"What do you mean?"

I just smirked and glanced back at the edge of the roof. Erik's hand still held onto one of my arms tightly and I doubted I could get away any time soon. Just then, the door to the roof opened and we were joined by a young man who was the spitting image of Erik with the exception, of course, of the mask and his eyes. His eyes were an island blue that had to have come from his mother.

"Finally, I've been looking everywhere for...you...guys..." his voice trailed off toward the end of the sentence as he spotted me.

"What's going on?"

It was silent for a few blessed moments, and then Erik addressed me.

"Care to explain?"

 **AN: ***"You stubborn ass" "Big booby"**


	4. Chapter Two

**AN: Hey guys! I'm going to go ahead and post this. Finals are next week and so I'll have plenty more time to write after Thursday when school is out. I wanted to get something else up for this story. I'm going to keep updating All About Your Heart every week on Tuesdays and Thursdays like normal. Once that is done (because it's getting SUPER close) I'll pay this story more attention. Bear with me as this one isn't completely written like All About Your Heart is. Hope you enjoy this next chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: Nothing Phantom belongs to me!:(**

Erik's POV

I was perplexed at the girl who's wrist was still tightly grasped in my hand. She looked and sounded exactly like Christine. The only difference I could perceive was a fire in her eyes that I had never come into Christine's gaze. It reminded almost of... But that was impossible so I dismissed the notion quickly. But she had mentioned that Elizabeth Denton was her guardian. She had made that distinction- guardian- instead of mother.

All was silent on the roof as we waited for what the girl would say in response to my question. I could tell how confused Gustave was at the scene he walked into. I didn't feel like telling him that Nadir and I had come up here to find this girl attempting to end her life. That was for her to tell should she so choose.

"Erik, I-" the Daroga started behind me.

"No, it's fine," the girl said finally, the fire not leaving her eyes.

She turned her gaze away from me to stare at Gustave.

"I came up here with the intention to end my life when these two came up and stopped me. We were just discussing why when you decided to join us."

"End your- Why would you want to do that?"

The girl shrugged her shoulders, a smile playing at her lips.

"No one would notice."

Gustave stared at her in bewilderment. I, too, was shocked how calmly she could talk about something as serious as taking her own life.

"Surely _someone_ would," Gustave insisted.

She shook her head, the fire in her eyes dimming slightly, but still very much there. I wondered what she would look like if her eyes were like mine. Again, I dismissed the line of thinking. Her eyes were a clear island blue, just like Christine's and Gustave's.

"You don't have any family that would miss you?" Gustave continued.

"The people who know I'm alive and exist are all dead," the girl replied nonchalantly.

Again, Gustave looked at her like she had two heads, shocked at how unaffected she was by what she was saying.

"What do you mean the ones that know you exist?"

"Apparently, the only people who knew of her were her mother who died seven years ago and her guardian who died a week ago in that fire at the inn," the Persian interrupted.

"What? How is that-"

The girl let out an exasperated sigh, rolling her eyes at Gustave's perplexed state.

"It's possible because my parents weren't together when I was born so the only people who knew of me at that point were my mother and her maid who was the only person she trusted at the time. I was given to that maid for her to raise so no one would ask any unwanted questions. Seven years ago, my mother died and a week ago that maid, my guardian and the only family I've known also died. Since my father never knew about me, there isn't anyone to miss me."

The fire had returned with more intensity throughout the girl's rant. It made me nervous to think what she would be capable of if properly angered, though I refused to acknowledge why. It had taken me too long to finally grasp that I had a son, and I wasn't about to start hoping that I might have a daughter as well. The odds that this girl was part of our little family weren't too high anyway.

"Who was your guardian?" Gustave inquired.

"Elizabeth Denton."

"But she was here alone."

"That's what we wanted everyone to think."

"It's been seven years."

"I'm aware."

"How have we not seen you before now?"

"And we're back to where we were before you arrived."

"Excuse me?"

"Before you interrupted. I had just been asked almost that exact same question."

"And what was your answer then?"

"I'm good, aren't I?"

"Good at what?"

"What I do."

"Which is?"

The girl paused, her head cocked and studying Gustave as if considering whether or not she wanted to tell him what exactly she did so well.

"Sticking to the shadows," she finally conceded.

"What's your name?" I finally cut in.

"What?" the girl asked, turning her gaze back to me.

"Your name. What is it?"

The girl's eyes searched mine, and I was sure I could see her mind going a mile a minute. Just when I was sure she wasn't going to answer, she posed a question.

"Do you really not remember?"

"Remember?"

"Was I really that impressionable? I mean, I haven't forgotten that night on the ship for a moment, but if you really don't remember..." the girl's voice trailed off.

"Ship... Wait, you were... Oh, my."

"Erik?" Nadir asked behind me.

"Charlotte?" I inquired softly.

The side of her mouth lifted in a smirk and her eyes sparkled just a bit more.

"You do remember."

"Remember what?" the Daroga demanded.

"On the ship back from Coney. We had a conversation on the deck the first night on board," I said without looking away from Charlotte.

I couldn't believe it didn't occur to me sooner. I mean, as soon as I found out Elizabeth was her guardian it should have been obvious. She had told me on the ship her last name was Denton, just like Elizabeth's. I tried to recall what she had looked like when I talked to her on the ship. An image of her small body leaning against the side of the ship gazing out over the sea of stars above and the sea of black below popped into my mind. She had grown and matured nicely.

"She lived on Coney?" Gustave's surprised voice cut through my thoughts.

"That's where Liz raised me," Charlotte replied.

"Why Coney?"

"It was safer than keeping me here."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Charlotte shrugged, choosing not to answer the question. The look in her eye told me that she was hiding a lot more than she wanted us to realize. She obviously wasn't comfortable with opening up to people, especially if she spent most of her time sticking to shadows. Just then, a breeze came along and she shivered.

"Shall we make our way inside?" I suggested, keeping a firm grip on her wrist still.

"Um..." Charlotte said, glancing back once more at the edge of the roof. "Fine."

Continuing to hold onto her wrist, I dragged her along behind Gustave and the Persian. We followed the passages down to the fifth cellar and only once we were inside the house with all exits locked and traps set did I let Charlotte go.


	5. Chapter Three

**AN: Hey guys. I've been working on this story a little. I haven't written much, but I thought I would get up the next chapter for you guys since I have it completed. I need to figure out an update schedule for this. Since it's summer, you'd think it would be simple, but since I have a giant family and everyone is involved in like ten things at one time, life gets in my way. But anyway, here you guys go. Enjoy this chapter and I'll try and let you guys know when I figure out a more concrete plan for this!**

Gustave's POV

She looks like Mom. Except the glasses she wears. I couldn't believe she had tried to end her life. My dad is always saying suicide is the coward's way out. Dad was still holding her by the wrist and dragging her along behind Nadir and I. Once we reached our house in the fifth cellar, Nadir locked the exits while I activated the traps. When we were done, Dad let go of Charlotte's wrist.

There was a fire in her eyes that I recognized, though I couldn't place where. That fire had never been in Mom's eyes once. Mom's eyes were always soft and gentle. Even when she was angry, her eyes hardened but didn't get that fire in them. As I tried to place exactly where I had seen that burning gaze before, Charlotte spoke.

"What now?" she inquired of my father.

"Now you provide more answers."

Charlotte set her jaw, the fire glowing brighter behind the lenses in her glasses.

"I don't have to answer anything."

"You owe us something."

"I owe nothing. I didn't ask you to find me up there. If it weren't for you, I could be done and everything would move on like normal."

"Alright, let's say you had followed through. You realize nothing would move on like normal, correct? That as soon as they found your body they would launch an investigation into who exactly you are?"

"So? They wouldn't find anything."

"And how do you think that would be received? How do you think everyone would react to finding the body of a young girl with no name and no background who committed suicide jumping off the roof of the opera house?"

The fire had slowly dimmed considerably as my father spoke. I had sat down on the couch next to Nadir during the exchange and he chose that moment to interrupt.

"Where have you been living?"

They both looked at him.

"What?" Charlotte asked.

"Where have you been living? You weren't at the inn with Elizabeth, so where?"

"The fourth cellar," she replied with a smug grin.

"Excuse me?" I said, not sure I had heard correctly.

"The fourth cellar," she repeated.

"So not only have you been using the passages for seven years without us knowing, but you've been living one cellar above us all that time?"

"Pretty much."

I gaped at her, unable to comprehend how she could pull it off for that long.

"I told you I'm good at what I do."

Her eyes were sparkling with the flame once more as her pride kicked in. Glancing quickly at my father, I saw a similar flame glowing in their depths. I looked back at Charlotte, the flame dancing in her eyes. She couldn't possibly be... Could she? I dismissed the line of thinking. Knowing my father, he wouldn't want me jumping to conclusions so quickly. But then, she looked exactly like my mom. My mom with the same fire in her gaze as my dad...

"Does that mean all your belongings are still in the fourth cellar?"

"Well, I haven't moved them in the seven years I've stayed there," Charlotte said, making it sound as if she thought the question was stupid.

"Daroga, would you-?"

Nadir had stood before my dad had finished the question.

"Can I go with him?"

"Why?"

"There are some things I want that I would prefer to transport myself if you insist on me staying down here instead."

"Fine, but you two had better be fast."

Charlotte followed Nadir out and my father and I were left alone in the silence.

"Did you notice?" I inquired.

"Notice what?"

"The flame in her eyes."

"What about it?"

"You have the same flame in your eyes. She's mom but that flame is you. How is that possible?"

"I don't know, Gustave, but I intend to find out."

* * *

Nadir POV

Charlotte had passed me and was now leading the way to the fourth cellar, unaffected by the fact that Gustave had activated all the traps. Somehow, she knew exactly where they were and was bypassing every single one. This girl was certainly a puzzle. She wouldn't answer any questions about herself directly unless they didn't reveal anything about her past. I had noticed that not only did she look exactly like Christine, but in her eyes was a flame I had only seen in Erik's own gaze.

She glanced over her shoulder every once in a while to make sure I was still following her.

"Daroga is a Persian term," she said suddenly, turning to face me and stopping our journey momentarily.

"It is," I said hesitantly, not sure where this was going.

"Okay," she said, turning around and continuing to make her way through the passages.

I stood still for a moment, wondering what had just occurred.

"Aren't you coming?" she called over her shoulder.

I forced my feet to move, following her through a doorway she had just opened in the wall and finding myself in a bedroom. She had already started placing some of her belongings in a box, including various outfits.

"What can I do?" I asked her.

"Carry that," she said, pushing the full box toward me.

"What about you?"

"I will be carrying a few other things myself," she replied.

I picked up the box while Charlotte gathered the last few things she wanted and then followed her back into the passages. Once we reached the fifth cellar and had entered Erik's home once more, she led the way to the Louis Phillipe room where Christine used to stay and had me set the box down by the swan bed.

"You bypassed all the traps."

"I did."

"How did you bypass all the traps?"

"A magician never reveals her secrets, Daroga."

I took an involuntary step back. The way she inflected my former title from my days in Persia was exactly the way Erik inflected it when he was fed up with me. The more time I spent around her, the more convinced I was that she was Erik's daughter. I could tell earlier that this conclusion had crossed not only Erik's but also Gustave's mind and both had quickly dismissed the thought. I however, chose not to overlook it so fast.

"Do you have another name?"

"Another name?"

"I was just thinking, your name wasn't always Charlotte Denton, was it? I mean, your mother must have named you before you ended up in Elizabeth's care."

"No. No other name."

"Really? Surely your mother-"

"Oh, you misunderstood me, Daroga. I have no other name that I will answer to. My mother indeed did give me a name before handing me over to Liz. However, I have never been referred to by said name and therefore refuse to acknowledge its existence. Do you understand now?"

The way she spoke was definitely Erik.

"Of course. My mistake," I chose to say, turning to walk out of the room.

I met Erik and Gustave in the music room. Gustave sat at the piano and Erik was pacing.

"Where is she?" Erik demanded upon seeing me.

"The Louis Phillipe room unpacking."

"She's stubborn," Gustave said, not turning away from the piano where he appeared to be composing.

"Indeed," I agreed softly. "How are we going to get her to admit it?"

"Admit what, exactly, Daroga."

I smirked as Erik said the title. I was correct in my assumption, I was sure of it.

"That she and Gustave are siblings."


End file.
